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A Prestigious Hi-Fi Brand Just Unleashed a Pair of Elite Audiophile Amplifiers

The French audio maker is calling them its “most advanced” amplifiers to date. Plus, they look damn cool.

Silver Advance Paris AI 110 audio amplifier with volume knob, two glowing vacuum tubes, and analog meters on a dark surface.Advance Paris
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By Tucker Bowe

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Last fall, Advance Paris introduced the Apex range, comprising three high-end integrated amplifiers (and a premium CD player) priced from $3,000 to $5,000. At the time, they were positioned as the brand’s new “best of the best” in premium audio components.

Fast forward a little over six months, and the French hi-fi manufacturer has introduced the Nova range, which features two integrated amplifiers (along with a few accessories) that sit above the brand’s Classic and Apex ranges.

As its new flagship range, Advance Paris is calling them “the most advanced amplifiers” it has ever made.

Close-up of an Advance Paris audio level meter with a needle pointing near -50 dB on a black panel.
The company is calling the A-i130 and the A-i190 its “most advanced and versatile” amplifiers ever.
Advance Paris

Meters, tubes and signature glow

Advance Paris’s flagship Nova range consists of two integrated amplifiers, the A-i130 and the A-i190, the latter of which is the more powerful and versatile.

If you’re looking to tell the two apart, it’s tough. Both have brushed aluminum front panels, retro-illuminated VU meters and, most strikingly, two glowing vacuum tubes located front and center. And they’re both available in black and silver finishes.

One of the only real visible ways to tell the difference is that, when side by side, the A-i190 is a little beefier and stands roughly an inch taller.

Silver Advance Paris audio amplifier with two glowing vacuum tubes and dual channel meters.
Pictured here in silver, the A-i130 is the smaller of the two Nova amplifiers.
Advance Paris
Silver Advance Paris audio amplifier with two analog VU meters and glowing vacuum tubes in the center.
The A-i190, meanwhile, is the more powerful model.
Advance Paris

Two flagship Novas

Both are stereo integrated amplifiers that combine a power amplifier, preamplifier, DAC and a wide range of connections into one box. Neither has built-in streaming capabilities right out of the box.

However, Advance Paris has introduced three accessories that are specifically designed to work with both Nova amplifiers. There’s a wireless streaming cartridge and a Bluetooth dongle, so you can add streaming capabilities to each (for an extra price, of course).

The third accessory is a high-end metal rotary remote, in case you want to control the system from across the room (in a much fancier way than using your iPhone).

Black Advance Paris audio amplifier with illuminated left channel meter, two glowing vacuum tubes, and a large silver volume knob.
Each preamp section features two vacuum tubes. It’s a signature design element that, according to the brand, “provides subtle harmonic warmth while its glow remains visible through the front panel.”
Advance Paris
Rear panel of a gray Advance Paris audio amplifier with multiple RCA, speaker, USB, HDMI, and XLR input/output ports.
Both Nova amplifiers offer a wide range of connections, including HDMI eARC, three optical inputs, one coaxial digital input, USB audio with DSD support, a 6.35mm headphone output, and MM phono with grounding terminal. But the A-i190 (pictured here) adds a few more.
Advance Paris

What’s the difference?

As far as differences, it comes down to power and connections. Their names give it away, but the A-i130 delivers 130 watts per channel, while the A-i190 delivers 190 watts.

The A-i190 also features a dual-mono configuration with two separate toroidal transformers (one per channel). This approach is typically reserved for dedicated power amplifiers and, as the brand explains, helps the A-i190 provide “greater channel separation and additional power output” than the A-i130 does.

Both amplifiers offer a wide range of connections (including HDMI eARC for your TV), but the A-i190 has a few more. Specifically, it adds XLR inputs and pre-out, two coaxial digital inputs, and an MC phono stage, so it’s compatible with higher-end turntables. (The A-i130’s built-in phono stage only supports MM cartridges.)

Black Advance Paris audio amplifier with glowing vacuum tubes, analog meters, and silver volume knob on a dark surface.
Both Nova amplifiers start shipping in May 2026.
Advance Paris

Availability and pricing

Both of Advance Paris’s new Nova amplifiers are available for preorder now and will go on sale in May. The A-i130 and the A-i190 will cost $6,499 and $7,999, respectively.

The various Nova accessories will also be available. The streaming cartridge (A-NTC) will cost $599, the bi-directional Bluetooth dongle (A-BTC) will cost $249, and the rotary remote (A-RTR) will cost $599.

About the Author: Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol’s editorial team since 2014. With a passion for consumer tech and hi-fi, he tracks everything from headphones and turntables to smartphones and wearables. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.

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